Rail-clamp.



J. M. VAIL. RA IL CLAMP. APPLIQATION FILED APR. 18,1908.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

wz'tnesses:'

Maw/2% JOSEPH M. VAlL, or BRYAN, 01-110.

RAIL-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 6, 1 908.

v Application filed April 1 8, 1908. Serial No. 427,777.

To all whom 'it may concern.

lie it known that I, Josiirii h'IJVaIn, a. citizen of the. United States, and a resident of Bryan, in the county of \Villiams and I State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Rail-( lamp; and I. do hereby this class, which is easily, and quickly ad-.

justable to compensate for wear or'a looseness of the rail due to strain or weather conditions.

The operation, construction and arran' c ment of the parts of theinvention are fully described in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in ivhich,

Figure l is a top plan view of the clamp embodying my invention in association with a rail and tie. Fig. Qis an end view thereof. 1 igf3 is an enlarged bottom view of the invention. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a metal tie with which the clamp is associated, and Fig. 5 is a bottom view of such tie.

Referring to /the drawings, 1 designates a-tie and 2 a rail clamped thereto. "While the ties 1 maybe of any construction suitable for the bolting or securing of a clamp thereto, those of I-beain shape are preferably used due to the facility with which the clamp bolts may be passed through the flanges thereof. The tie shown in the drawing is of a modified I-beain construction and is irovidcd on its bottom with the longitu badly-extending downwardly-projacting web or flange 3, which is vertically slit near its ends,'as shown at- 4. The flange 3 is then slit from the tie base a short distance in both directions from the slits 4 to form the wings 5, which are bent in opposite directions ,laterally ofthe flange to provide sinip leam, eilicient. i'neiins for anchoring the tie tigainst longitudinal niovei'nents.

Referring. to the lttllCliHi'lI) forming the featuresot my invention, (3 designates a platcuwhich is .lixcdly serum-uh to the t e l in contiguous position to one base flange of the rail by a bolt 7 passing through said plate and one ofthe to'p flanges of the-tie, as shown. The plate 6 has one enduforined with the projecting stem 8, which is'itlirea-ded to receive the nut or nuts 9, and has the lower edge of the side thereof which is disposed toward the rail base recessed or cutaway, as at 10, to form a seat for the wedge key .11. This recess has its rear wall preferably disposed approximately in a. plane with the inner or rail side of the stem 8 and rounded to enable the key '11, which has its coacting surface similarly fashioned, to turn slightly therein to adjust itself to the degree of taper or incline of the top surface of the rail base-flange.

The key 11 has the end tliereoi which iscontiguous to the stem 8, formed with a lateral boss or projection 12, which is pro titled with an opening, not shown, thron h which the stem 8 loosely projects. Tie

' lower outer edge of the key is-recessed or cutaway, as at 13, to adapt it to partially overlap the base flange of the rail, and this recess has its rear .wall tapered or inclined relative to the front or outer edge of the key to form the key with its wedgeshaped base portion 14, which has its broad end disposed at the end of the key from which the boss 12 projects, as best shown in Fig. 3..

in securing a clamp to a tie and in engagement with a rail-base, the plate 6 and key 11 are assen'ibl ed in proper osition with the stem 8 projecting through 1: e opening in the boss 12 of the key and the o posite end of the key terminating substantially at the end of the plate opposed to the stem, and the wholeis then placed on thetie with the recessed portion of the key receiving the basetla'ng'eol'tlie rail and its rear or tapered wall 1 (ill bearing against the edge of such flan s, as

shown. The plate 6 is then fixed to t e tie by the bolt 7 with. its stem 8 and the rear wall of its recess 10 standing slightl inclined outwardly from a parallel with t e'edge of the rail base, due to the inner straight edge of the key bearing against said recess wall and its tapered edge abuttin' against the rail base.

of the nuts 8) on the stem against the boss 12 of the. key will move the key longitudinally relative to the plate 6 and rail and efi'cot a wedge-like action against the opposing silliaees thereof, thus forcing the rail tightly against the opposing clamp 15 on't lie -0p-' H. is thus apparent -t t a tightening posite side of the rail, as it may be desired to originally secure the rail to the tie or to compensate'for wear or other loosening conditions and maintain uniform track ga e.

Should the clamps be used onelectric rallways' it is ap a-rent that they may be insulated from t I wish it understood that I do not desire to be restricted to the exact details of construction and arrangement of the )arts shown and described, as obvious modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, i s,--

a keyseat in the side contiguous to the rail and a stem n'ojecting from one end thereof, a keyv mounted for movement in said seat and having a part overlapping the contiguous base flange of the rail and a lon itudinally tapered part coacting with. the edge of said 0 rails and tie in the usual or any suitable manner.

2. The combination with atie and rail, of-

a member fixed to the tie at the side of the rail-base, andhaving a. stem projecting from one .end thereof, a wedge key worlring between the edge of the rail-base and. said member, said key having a part which is held in contact with the top 0 the raiLbase flange by said member and a laterally projecting part which receives the stem, and anut threaded to the stem without said latter part and adapted to turn thereon an ftrce the key between the member and mil a'se. 4. A metal tie of I-beam construction in cross-section having. its base formed with a downwardly projecting flange, said flange being transversely slit at spaced points therein and longitudinally slit a short distance in either direction from each transverse slit to form Wings, the contiguous wings being horizontally'bent in opposite directions relative to the beam, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presenee'of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH Mi VAIL'. Vvitnesses i C. W. OWEN, 

